Fertilizer and process of making same.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL PEAGOCK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN OYANAMID COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

FERTILIZER AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

, No Drawing.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, SAMUEL PEAGOCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illmois; have invented certain new and use- .ful Improvements in Processes of Neutralizing Commercial Cyanamid; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as 'will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use'the'same.

This invention relates to a process of rendering commercial calcium cyanamid neutral, or acid, as may be desired employing for that purpose 'a solution of phosphoric acid, andaccomplishing the same in a simpl and comparatively lnexpensive manner. Po this end, the invention consists in the novel steps, and combination of steps constilutin my process more fully hereinafter dis'closc and particularly pointed out in the laims. I I p {Calcium cyanamid as produced commercially contains about twenty (20) per cent. uncombined lime, or calcium oxid GaO), and u on unavoidable exposure to the atmospli re during storage or upon shipment, this caustic lime absorbs moisture, causing more-oi' less distortid'n of packages, and also adding" 0 the weight of the commercial material. has also been claimed that when commercial calcium cyanamid is mixed with acidphosphates in the manufacture of commerclal fertilizers, more or less of the free lime of the cyanamid reacts with the phosphoric acid in the acid phosphate, causing a reversion (if the phosphoric acid, and consequently a loss in the availability of the same as an immtiiately'active plant food. I am aware that it has been proposed to destroy,

.the basic character of this free lime in calcium cyananiid,by combining the same with sulfuric acid; whereby sul ate of lime is formed from the free lime; a form of lime which cannot cause a reversion of the phosphoric acid in acid phosphatesf But there are more or less objections to sucha use of sulfuric acid. The-sulfuric acid thus added tothexalcium cyanamid has in the opinion of many no agricultural value; and merely adds to the-weight the farmer must move, and to the price he must pay, for a given amount of plant food. It is further claimedfthatsupplying' sulfuric acid in such a f ormfltofthe soil year after year, results agricultural science.

The object of this invention more specifically stated is to neutralize the free linie in calcium cyanamid, by using phosphoric acid for this purpose; and, thereby eliminating the more or less unfavorable basic nature of the commercial material; and in doing so. furthermore, I add to the cyanamid an essentlal element of. plant food, (phosphoric acid), in a form readily available to the assnmlating powers of growing plants.

lihen treating calcium cyainnnicl with :1 n acid, the object being to neutralize the free lime only, care mustbe observed not to use an excess of acid for the purpose required;

although of course a slight excess may be used if the cyanamid is to be rendered acid. Also, the temperature of the mixture during the process ofacidulation must be kept be low the boiling point of water, else decom position of the cyanamid mayoccur, and some combined nitrogen be lost.

I have discovered that by using phosphorlc acid containing not greatly exceedmg 70 per cent. of phosphorus pent-oxid P 0 and finely ground calcium cyanamid CaCN and mixing the same together thoroughly in masses'not exceeding 10.00 pounds of calcium cyanamid, the temperature of the mass may be kept below the boiling point of Water, and the. free lime of the cyanamid may be Wholly converted into available calcium phosphate, without loss of any substantial amount of combined nitrogen.

The resulting material which I designate as phosphated'cyanamid, is friable, does not cake and is in every way unusually suitable as a high grade nitrogenous phosphatic rter- I tilizer, and one also largely free from use-v less or deleterious substances.

- The process of treatment consists of intimately and rapidly mixing in any suitable" "vessel a'wcighed quantity of calcium cyanamid, and sufiicient phosphoric acid (notgreatly exceeding a content of 70 per cent. phosphorus pentoxid), to chemically combine with at least per cent. of the 'free lime in the calcium cyanamid' and in the proportion of one equivalent of free lime. combined to one e uivalent of phosphoric 7 acid. The reaction egins at ordinary telnperatures and the stirring or mixing should mitted to rise above 150 C.

alent of about 22 per cent. ammonia,

The usefulness of my process is demonstrated by the following analyses which show the composition of the product result ing from the treatment of calcium cyanamid with sulfuric acid and with phosphoric a cid. v

Sulfuric acid Phosphoric acid treatment. treatment.

Ammoniaj 416 16 Available phosphoric acid. None 22 Sulfur 10.61 None The resulting product is not only. a. high 25 grade anunoniate, but also an acid phosphate of a higher grade than the best commercial acid phosphate.

What I claim is: l. The process of forming a fertilizer which consists in mixing asufiicient amount of phosphoric acid with commercial calcium cyanamid to convert at least one-half of the free lime present into calcium phosphate, while preventing the temperature from rising .to a point at which any substantial amount of ammonia will be given off, substantially as described.

2. The process of forming a fertilizer which consists in mixing a suiiicient amount of phosphoric acid with calcium cyanamid containing free lime, to convert substantially allof the free lime present into calcium phosphate and thereby preventing the temperature from rising to a point at which any. substantial amount of ammonia will be given off, substantially as described.

3. The process of forming'a fertilizer substantially free from lime which consists in mixing with commercial calcium cyanainid containing free lime sufficient phosphoric acid to neutralize the lime, while maintaining the temperature below the point at which ammonia will be driven oif', substantially as described.

l. The herein described fertilizer consisting of a inixtureof calcium phosphate and lime, substantially as describec -,calci1i1n cyanamid substantially free from Intestimonv whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL PEAGOCK.

Witnesses T. A. IVITHERSPOON,

G130. Pn'rs. 

